Police seize 1,750 litres of petrol stored ‘recklessly’ in Upper Rock cave

Police seized 70 plastic containers of petrol that had been “recklessly” stored in a cave in the Upper Rock and presented a serious fire risk during the dry season.

Some 1,750 litres of fuel linked to the drugs trade was seized after the Royal Gibraltar Police received intelligence of its location.

The fuel was seized, recovered and stored with the assistance of other RGP Roads Policing officers and personnel from the Gibraltar Fire & Rescue Service and HM Customs.

An investigation remains ongoing.

“The illicit and dangerous practice of storing large quantities of fuel in plastic containers is linked to the logistical supply of vessels involved in drugs trafficking across the Strait of Gibraltar,” a police spokesperson said.

“In addition to denying this fuel to the organised crime groups involved in this illicit activity, the discovery and seizure of this fuel that had been stored recklessly in a confined cave complex mitigated the significant risk of fire or explosion in the Upper Rock Nature Reserve during the current high-risk season.”

The RGP appeals to anyone who is in possession of any information concerning the purchase and storage of large quantities of fuel in plastic containers, or who suspects the presence of fuel stored nearby due to a strong smell, to contact the RGP on Telephone 200 72500, or via the RGP website online reporting portal www.police.gi/report-online so that the matter can be investigated further.